2019 BYU Cougars Football Thread

[Green Monstah]

I think you're right. Dayan didn't play, Lee didn't have a great game, Tanner (in like his third game as a safety ever) gave up on the TD play. But here's the thing (specific to USF): their QB sucked. His TD throw to the TE wasn't actually intended for the TE. He was trying to hit the receiver on the go route, over threw him, and the TE adjusted to the ball.

Tuiaki finally adjusted, put five men on the line, we get a stop, and the very next series we run a three-man front, and USF hammers us all the way up the field.

[Joe Public]

Toledo lost to Navy 3-35 today, and South Florida lost to Ball State 14-52.

[CardiacCoug]

Toledo lost to Navy 3-35 today, and South Florida lost to Ball State 14-52.

Yup those were 2 bad teams for sure.

[Donuthole]

2019 BYU Cougars Football Thread

This game raises a lot of questions. Namely, where tf was this innovative playcalling when we had Zach Wilson on the field?

[Donuthole]

2019 BYU Cougars Football Thread

Tuiaki finally adjusted, put five men on the line, we get a stop, and the very next series we run a three-man front, and USF hammers us all the way up the field.

History repeats itself.

Where has all the pass rush gone?
Long time for passing.
Where has all the pass rush gone?
Long ways to go.
Where has all the pass rush gone?
Gone to prevent, everyone?
When will he ever learn?
When will he eeeeeeever learn?

[Joe Public]

This game raises a lot of questions. Namely, where tf was this innovative playcalling when we had Zach Wilson on the field?

Inconsistency is the calling card of a Kalani Sitake team.

[Eddie]

So - Harmon is saying that Sitake took over the defensive play calling for this game?

https://www.deseret.com/2019/10/20/2...14-boise-state

In a Monday team meeting, reports say he shed his reserved, lovable persona and his squad saw the full neck blood vessel bulging angry, bent for war. His team saw the emotional Sitake. He poured out his soul before his coaches and players after blowing a lead in a second straight loss to a Group of 5 team.

He then reportedly took over play-calling duties from his longtime friend and defensive coordinator Iliaisa Tuiaki and stuck his nose in every position meeting and huddle. In one week, he installed blitzes, six- and seven-men defensive fronts, which is his background.

He demanded the offense be more aggressive and put Boise State’s defense on its heels. He said offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes decided he would be on the field for the first time in two years to work with young offensive linemen after three starters were out with injuries and a third, lost for the season.

My only question is - what took so long?

I'm a pretty patient guy. I can understand some growing pains - as long as growing comes with the pain.

Here's hoping that whatever they put in their breakfast wheaties Saturday morning makes another appearance against USU. Hopefully the coaches enjoyed the more aggressive play calling and take the extra week to work on pulling off some more magic in Logan.

Seems like they went into prevent mode with the lead in the 4th quarter, and got what they wanted as far as using a little clock and not turning it over. But also risked giving BSU the game.

Final comment - watching last night, it sure seemed like BYU was taking a page out of BSU's playbook. Got me wondering if the defensive coaches were watching game film and one of them finally said out loud "Someone should show this to the offensive coaches. This is pretty good stuff!"

[Green Monstah]

One of Lavell’s hallmarks was empowering his assistant coaches and being more of a supporter than a meddler. I think Sitake was trying to do the same.

[BigPiney]

I don't know what took so long, but it was way too long and his ass should be fired.

[Eddie]

One of Lavell’s hallmarks was empowering his assistant coaches and being more of a supporter than a meddler. I think Sitake was trying to do the same.

Which sounds like a great idea - but this staff is new and inexperienced enough that they likely needed more support than that.

[Surfah]

Which sounds like a great idea - but this staff is new and inexperienced enough that they likely needed more support than that.

Same with Kalani

[wapiti]

Its probably easier for a coach who can win big games but has lapses against patsies to figure out how to eliminate those lapses than it is for a coach who wins the games he should and loses the games he shouldn't to take a program to the next level. Let's see how the season play out, but 6-7 wins should get Kalani next season. 8 wins gets him an extension.

[Green Monstah]

Which sounds like a great idea - but this staff is new and inexperienced enough that they likely needed more support than that.

I don't think Sitake's staff is terribly new and inexperienced anymore. Grimes is a new OC, so I'll concede that, but his position coaches all have several years of experience (with three that have called plays at the FCS or FBS level). I can't think of a defensive coach that I'd call "new and inexperienced."

One of the frustrating aspects of Kalani's program for folks who want to feel legitimized with a big-time bowl invite immediately is that he's trying to build a culture, and he believes that the end result of that culture will be sustained success.

Against weaker competition overall, LaVell didn't have an exceptional season his first four years. And really, they didn't hit their full stride until LaVell's 8th year. While the college football landscape is quite different, and there's a solid argument that KS inherited a better situation than LaVell did, I think BYU fans need a little patience.

The reality is that BYU got lucky with Bronco. In addition, there aren't many people who want this job. Honor code issues, rumored pay struggles (although I think KS is doing just fine), and other institutional disadvantages make is a tough place to hire coaches. KS wants to be here. He wants to build something great, but he wants to do it in a way that doesn't lend itself to immediate success.

In spite of the ugly ass losses, I find myself supportive of KS.

[Eddie]

I don't think Sitake's staff is terribly new and inexperienced anymore...

...In spite of the ugly ass losses, I find myself supportive of KS.

I was speaking mostly of the coordinators. Neither had experience as a coordinator before BYU. And just having experience at BYU, I don't think was super helpful. I feel like both would've benefited from a mentor with prior experience as a coordinator that could talk them through what's going wrong and how they can improve.

Maybe Kalani and Roderick were both doing that - as they are previous coordinators. But it sure didn't seem like the offense or defense were learning from their mistakes week to week.

I find myself more supportive than unsupportive of KS as well. I keep wanting him to get better - and I feel like I'm OK playing the long game and allowing some growing pains. But I want to see improvement.

[Goatnapper'96]

Its probably easier for a coach who can win big games but has lapses against patsies to figure out how to eliminate those lapses than it is for a coach who wins the games he should and loses the games he shouldn't to take a program to the next level. Let's see how the season play out, but 6-7 wins should get Kalani next season. 8 wins gets him an extension.

The problem with Kalani is he is neither good nor bad. He is very much our very own Ron McBride. I am hopeful that he gets better at getting the most out of his team more consistently. Utah lived with McBride for 13 years despite knowing what he was by the mid 90's because of where the program came from when he inherited it and also because BYU's gradual decay the last half of the 90's did not create such a glaring disparity as one sees now between BYU and Utah. I think if Kalani gets to a bowl game this year he will be back for at least another year. My guess is if he wins 7 or 8 he gets extended for more than one year. With the lack of institutional commitment to excellence and the many external impediments to success BYU faces, most of which would still be very formidable even if the BYU had more institutional commitment to excellence in gridiron than I believe it has, giving Kalani as much support and time as BYU can give might be the best approach. I mean after all, Derick Stevenson as an unofficial spokesman for BYU nation, clearly identified that Mendenhall was not a satisfactory head coach, is still behind Kalani and advocates that all of Kalani's woes are due to the administration. I guess he just wants the admin to support Kalani to the level it supported Bronco Mendenhall.

So put me in the camp who thinks the best approach is to give Kalani at least one more year if he makes a bowl game and a 2 year extension should he squeak out 7 wins and a 3 year extension should he sweep the rest of the regular season.